The invention relates to an electronic device having a rotary switch and a display screen for displaying information.
Such an electronic device is known from EP 366 132 B1. The rotary switch of this electronic device has latched positions to which there are assigned function groups (menus) or individual functions which can be selected one after another by means of rotating the rotary switch, and can be activated by means of depressing the rotary switch. Depending on the direction of rotation in the clockwise sense or in the counterclockwise sense, the individual menus or functions can be selected serially by means of rotating the rotary switch. In particular, if the individual menus or functions are arranged in two dimensions, it is difficult in the case of this known rotary switch to reach a specific menu or a specific function which is, for example, arranged at a distance in an oblique direction from the starting position.
It is the object of the invention further to develop an electronic device of the type mentioned at the beginning to the effect that it permits operation which is as universal as possible and simple.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by virtue of the fact that the rotary switch is provided for the two-dimensional movement of at least one display element of the display screen, that a rotary movement of the rotary switch is provided for selecting the direction of movement of the display element, and that a first axial movement of the rotary switch is provided for moving the display element in the selected direction of movement.
An arbitrary element represented on the display screen is denoted as display element. The term display element covers, for example, a cursor, picture graphics and symbols as well as text elements.
The direction of movement of the display element can be selected continuously or in fixed angle steps by means of rotating the rotary switch. After selection of the direction of movement, the respective display element is then displaced in the selected direction of movement by actuating the rotary switch in the axial direction.
This electronic device has the advantage that the respective display element can be moved in two-dimensional fashion in an arbitrarily selectable direction on the display screen. In particular, the display element can also be moved away from the starting position in an oblique direction.
In addition to displacing individual display elements, it is also possible to displace the entire display of the display screen in the selected direction of movement. This is advantageous, for example, in representing a map of a navigation system, in order to give the user a simple and quick possibility of looking at neighboring or adjoining map areas.
The advantageous refinement of this invention in accordance with claim 2 has the advantage that the user can detect the selected direction of movement on the screen. The display of the direction of movement on the screen can be adapted individually to the respective application and the requirements of the user by means of software which drives the screen.
The refinement of the electronic device in accordance with claim 3 has the advantage that the direction menu can be adapted to the respectively displayed information, and thus provides the user for choice only with the directions which are sensible for the respectively displayed information. For example, the direction menu can be displayed only in a sub-area of the display screen, preferably in a corner of the display screen. It is possible, furthermore, for the direction menu to enclose the display screen in the shape of a border. The selectable direction fields of the direction menu can be provided for permanent display. It is also possible to display only the respectively selected direction field of the direction menu. As a result, the surface area of the display screen which is available for the information which is actually to be displayed is larger than in the case of the continuous display of the entire direction menu.
In accordance with the advantageous refinement of claim 4, a rotatable direction arrow is provided for graphic display of the direction of movement. The rotation of the direction arrow is performed in accordance with the rotation of the rotary switch. In this case, the rotation of the direction arrow can be performed both in fixed steps and continuously. Such a rotatable direction arrow can be realized very easily in graphic terms. In addition, it requires only a small space on the display screen. The rotatable direction arrow can be arranged at different points on the display screen in accordance with the respective application. The respective display element is moved in the direction indicated by the rotatable direction arrow by an axial movement of the rotary switch.
A further possibility consists in providing a direction arrow indicating the respective direction of movement on the rotary switch itself. This is a particularly simple possibility, which does not require a graphic display on the display screen. However, it is necessary for the user to look at the respective position of the direction arrow on the rotary switch in order to inform himself of the selected direction of movement of the display element. Consequently, with this embodiment the user must avert his gaze from the display screen.
In the advantageous refinement of the electronic device in accordance with claim 5, the display element may be constructed, for example, in the form of a blinking cursor. The display element, constructed in the form of a blinking cursor, then marks the respectively selected selection field. Each selection field is assigned a function group and/or a function. A function group is understood to be a menu which provides at least two functions and/or further sub-function groups for selection. Initially, the desired direction of movement of the cursor is set by means of rotating the rotary switch, and subsequently the cursor is moved into position on the desired selection field by means of the first axial movement of the rotary switch in the selected direction of movement. The activation of a function group selected in such a way and/or of a function selected in such a way is advantageously performed by means of a second axial movement of the rotary switch which differs from the first axial movement.
In accordance with claim 7, it is preferred for the first axial movement to be implemented by depressing the rotary switch, and for the second axial movement to be realized by pulling the rotary switch. These opposing first and second axial movements render it possible for the user to carry out the desired function intuitively in a way which is functionally reliable and not susceptible to faults.
However, it is also possible to provide as the first axial movement a short depression of the rotary switch which does not last longer than a prescribable threshold period. In the case of such a refinement, the display element or the cursor is then displaced with each short depression in the selected direction of movement, and in each case the subsequent selection field is selected and marked optically by means of the display element. It is then possible, for example, to provide as second axial movement for activating a function group and/or function assigned to the respective selection field a long depression of the rotary switch which lasts longer than a prescribed threshold period. Alternatively, it is possible to provide a continuous depression of the rotary switch as first axial movement, a corresponding movement of the display element taking place in the selected direction of movement as long as the rotary switch is depressed. The speed of the movement of the display element can be increased in this case within a fixed time reference. The activation of the selected selection field can then be performed in the case of this embodiment by means of a short depression of the rotary switch or by means of pulling the rotary switch, for example.
In accordance with claim 8, it is also alternatively possible to provide an activation field in the direction menu. Such an activation field can then be selected by means of rotating the rotary switch and be activated by means of an axial movement of the rotary switch. In this embodiment, there is no need for a second axial movement differing from the first axial movement. Both the movement of the display element in the selected direction of movement and the activation of a selected selection field can be implemented by means of one and the same axial movement, that is to say by means of depressing the rotary switch, for example.